No idea where to begin!

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Andre68

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I'm currently in the process of restoring a 68 dart. The first thing I would like to do is do a complete paint job, so I'm taking everything off the car, pulled the interior out the other day and tomorrow goes the tranny and engine and exhaust.

Aside from taking everything off the car, what do I do next? It has some small rust spots and some surface rust and a little bit of dings here and there. I don't know if I san the whole car down first or just the rust areas.

So yea, as far as taking it apart I have no idea what to do next

Help!
 
Have you budgeted for a paint job?

Will you be doing the work yourself or paying someone to do it?

Have you ever painted a car before?
 
Make sure that you label or bags things so you will know where they go when you put it back together!
 
Throw them in a big box and ask questions on here later.LOL!

Start with the small rust spots first then you will get your feet wet.
Like 1968formulas340 asked. Budget? doing it yourself? Have you done
this before?
Post some pics.

Darryl
 
if doing body start with your rust areas and damage areas. once done if doing full on paint and body I would take the finish down with 80g and shoot your primer epoxy. Follow that up with 2k surfacer primer. block it down. Shoot again if needed.
 
My budget, well I would like to keep costs down but I know I'm gonna have to spend some money. I'm doing my self because I want to learn how to do it, sure I can pay someone but then I won't know how to do it hahah and no I haven't done it before. Yea I will post some pics.

So start at the rust spots, what about minor dents? I bought a hammer and dolly set.

So I figure first is sand down the area with a sanding block? What paper grade?
 
Also will I be sanding the whole entire car down to bare metal?
No! Thats why we need pics. Before starting any body work wash car then
wipe down with wax and grease remover.


Darryl
 
The reason I say no to sanding to bare metal is
If it is in sound condition ,the original factory paint makes a good base starting point.
If the car has been hack at and painted before and there is bubbles, shrinkage and
a lot of filler in there and so on then it might be good to go to bare metal.

But that is a lot of work and then prime bare metal with epoxy primer as soon as you
can.
I am no expert by any means but I started just like you are.
I am 49 years old and am self taught. Painted many cars since my early 20's.
Had a lot of mistakes along the way.

If you are determined GO FOR IT! You will learn along the way.

Darryl
 
Me personally not a big fan of buying a project and taking it all apart. I prefer to get it running driving and mechanically sound first.

There are some guys here that have the funds and skills to pull off a project of that size. However I see way to many guys start out this way then life intervenes and they end up in way over their heads. Most end up never finishing and I'm guessing the cars end up scrap or being sold for parts.

Get it together and running, get the bugs out, and then you won't have to worry about screwing up the paint while doing all the other work your 45 year old car is sure to need.

I know your mind is probably set and I understand, but seriously give it some thought. Paint can set you back $3000 to $15,000 depending on the quality. Then most people need or want new or re chromed bumpers, bezels, grills, and lenses to make that new paint pop. Also don't forget about all the rubber and seals you'll probably need. You really want to buy a car and not drive it for a couple years?
 
heres are some photos of the car
 

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here are some more...
 

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heres another one.

I get what your saying about getting the car mechanically sound first, but whenever I flip through mopar magazine and I see the guys that just strip the car and get so detailed that they even paint the floor board, frame, under the car. All these places that don't really matter but they do it and it looks beautiful, ive always wanted something that like that.

Iv'e been wanting to learn how to do bodywork and paint, so I figure something like this is perfect. its not a rust bucket at all in my opinion. Some rust, yes, but that's fine because I want to learn how to fix rust.

Ive bought some books on body work and paint. Gonna check out some dvds too, as well as ask on the forum here, but its fine if it takes time, because I want to learn, and see the fruits of my labor. I think it would add a whole lot more to the car, to know that you did it, it looks the way it does because of you.

well you guys wanted some pics. here ya go!
 

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You do need a complete redo. The rust will be deeper than you think. When you start cutting on the rust be sure to get back to where you have good solid metal to weld your patch panels in to. Good luck with your build.
 
Start with the rusty areas.Those small rust spots will turn out to be much bigger than you think and you need to grind or sandblast it all out.You will at least be doing a partial floor pan and check the frame rails underneath to be syre they are solid, my customers love to see me put a pick hammer thru their cars where I see rust!
 
Your going to need a patch panel for the roof corner and a new door. I had mine blasted and primed so I know what I was working with and It saved me all of that time to strip all the paint off. The blasting will shiow anything hidden under the paint/bondo
 
if it was mine i'd concentrate on getting the floors and trunk areas fixed along with the engine compartment done rebuild the drive line install it get it running right then do the rest of the body then interior
 
On the corner of the roof, when you pull off the chrome trim the rust will be more extensive than it looks. Hit that with a wire wheel on grinder and it will find the rusted thin metal. Do that wire wheel on areas that are suspicious and you will know what you have. You have to get that rust out or it will grow from backside of the paint. You need access to mig welder. AMD or others have most patch panels for the usual rust prone areas. Look really close at lower corners of windshield and rear window frames, those are often hidden by trim pieces.
 
Yea I figured the door could be fixed. Okay so I take it a need to buy a da sander and a grinder to get started on those areas, as well as a welder and some sheet metal, fix the rust spots first. Then do I sand the whole car? I bought a block sander as I read those were necessary, can I sand these areas with that?
 
View attachment work 005.jpgUse a da sander (Dual Action) with 36 grit stick on,s and go nuts on around the rusted
areas. Then work on the rusted area and replace with new sheet metal.
There will be more rust there than you can see. Cut the new sheet metal first then put
against the area,felt pen it in and always cut the old a little smaller as you can not go back.
I like the ends to meet but there is a tool for flanging it but I prefer the ends to
meet then slowly tack it in with the mig. It is very easy to burn holes where the
metal meets, so it takes some practice.

Darryl
 

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Yea I figured the door could be fixed. Okay so I take it a need to buy a da sander and a grinder to get started on those areas, as well as a welder and some sheet metal, fix the rust spots first. Then do I sand the whole car? I bought a block sander as I read those were necessary, can I sand these areas with that?

By taking it all apart you are taking the glass out right? After fixing the rust areas and any dents sand the whole car down with the DA, block sanding will come after the primer coats are sprayed.
 
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